Auger flight support system

ABSTRACT

An auger flight support for use with an augering system for mining which bores a pair of side-by-side holes through a coal seam using respective augers. Each auger includes a drilling section which is followed by a series of auger flights for conveying the bored coal back out of the respective hole. The auger flight support includes a bearing housing that connects axially adjacent auger flights together, adjacent bearing housings in the side-by-side augers are connected by a tie bar. A support leg extending downwardly from approximately the mid-section of the tie bar to engage the ground ledge that is formed between the counter rotating augers.

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.10/074,412, filed Feb. 12, 2002, the specification of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Technical Field

[0003] This invention generally relates to augering systems which removecoal from seams within a hill by boring long, horizontally extendingholes into the coal seam using an auger comprising a rotary cutting headand a string of auger flights to convey the cut coal from the coal seam.More particularly, the invention relates to auger flight supports forreducing boring friction to extend the distance the auger system canbore into the hill. Specifically, the invention relates to an augeringsystem that includes a support leg that lies between adjacent augerflights.

[0004] 2. Background Information

[0005] Augering machines powered by internal combustion engines havebeen used for mining coal from hills containing a coal seam for manyyears. These augering machines utilize an auger having a cutting headwhich is advanced horizontally into the coal seam. The auger is usuallymade up of a series of sections or auger flights having a helicallywound flighting, which removably couple together end-to-end to conveythe cut coal from the cutting head to a point of discharge outside thehill. The auger flights are rotationally and axially coupled by having asocket at one end and a mating shank on the opposite end. The shank ofone auger flight fits into the socket of the next auger flight. Aslidable latch pin extends transversely through a hole in the augerflight and into a hole in the shank of the auger flight to be coupledthereto. A release lever permits uncoupling of the auger flights such aswhen the cutting head is being withdrawn from the bored hole at thecompletion of the boring. As the string of auger flights is withdrawn,the auger flights are sequentially removed from the auger string byuncoupling and lifting the rearmost auger flight from the auger machine.Pairs of side-by-side cutting heads and augers have been used recentlyto form a pair of parallel holes in the coal seam to remove a largervolume of coal at once. Each auger is powered by an auger machine whichapplies axial as well as rotational forces to the augers to force theaugers and the cutting heads into the coal seam and to rotate thecutting heads breaking away the material which the augers then conveyout of the hole.

[0006] There is considerable friction developed between the flighting ofthe auger flights and the bored holes which requires considerable powerfrom the augering machines, and which reduces the power available to thecutting heads and to convey the cut coal. Attempts have been made toreduce such frictional power losses in auger systems. For example, inU.S. Pat. No. 3,036,821 issued to H. D. Letts, there is disclosed aspider device where bearings are attached between each of the linearlyextending augers, and a plurality of legs are attached to the bearingsto form a “spider”. The spider somewhat supports the flighting on thebottom of the bored hole so that the flighting does not rub the groundas hard when rotating, thus reducing the power requirements of the augermachine. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,382 issued to Deeter, there is discloseda similar auger support having a plurality of radially extending supportlegs affixed a bearing housing surrounding a bearing. The drive shank ofan auger flight is rotatably supported by the bearing at one end of theauger flight, independently of the support provided by the augerflighting, to reduce wear and tear of the flighting and to reducefrictional drag of the auger flights. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. Re24,503 to C. E. Compton, which was originally U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,203,there is disclosed a spider-type support system for an auger miningsystem. All of these devices, however, fail to solve a number ofproblems associated therewith.

[0007] There is thus, a continuing need for a support device whichovercomes a number of problems associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] One of the advantages of the present invention is that itprovides reduced frictional losses between the flighting and the bottomof the bored holes resulting in less power required for boring a givenlength hole.

[0009] A further advantage of the present invention is that it permitslonger holes to be bored using the same augering machine because of thereduced friction.

[0010] These and other advantages of the present invention may berealized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification,claims and abstract.

[0011] The present invention relates to an auger flight support forunitizing and supporting pairs of auger flights by connecting togetherrespective first ends of each pair of parallel tubular auger flights.The auger flights each include a respectively helical flighting affixedexteriorly therearound having a respective outer diameter, and includerespective second ends having a drive socket. The unitized auger flightsare adapted for use with an augering apparatus of the type used forrotating and advancing a pair of side-by-side cutting heads of adrilling section. The drilling section is driven horizontally into theside of a hill with the cutting heads driven rotationally through thedrive sockets by the augering apparatus. The unitized auger flights areinserted between the drilling section and the augering apparatus in arotationally coupled end-to-end manner as drilling progresses. Axiallyadjacent auger flights are connected end-to-end via bearing housings. Apair of drive shafts each includes a first end adapted to closely fitwithin and be fixable to the first end portion of a respective flightauger, a second end portion of mating configuration to the drivesockets, and a middle bearing portion which fits within said bearinghousing. At least one bearing is disposed within each of the bearinghousings between the respective bearing housing and the bearing portionof the respective drive shaft which bearing rotationally supports andlongitudinally retains the respective drive shaft to the respectivesupport post. The bearing housings of the side-by-side auger flights areconnected to each other by way of a tie bar. A downwardly dependent legextends from the tie bar in a position substantially equidistant fromthe side-by-side auger flights. The tie bar rigidly interconnects thebearing assemblies to each other so that the respective outer boringdiameters of the flightings are closely adjacent one another. Thesupport leg extends generally downwardly between the side-by-side augerflights so as to provide support for the auger flights and indirectlyfor the drilling heads.

[0012] The above description sets forth, rather broadly, features of thepresent invention so that the detailed description of the preferredembodiment that follows may be better understood and contributions ofthe present invention to the art may be better appreciated. There are,of course, additional features of the invention that will be describedbelow and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect,before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention indetail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of the construction and to the arrangement ofthe components set forth in the following description or as illustratedin the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to beunderstood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are forthe purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of thebest mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles,is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawingsand is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in theappended claims.

[0014]FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a hill showing anaugering machine positioned adjacent the side of the hill and outsidethe hillside during drilling horizontally into a coal seam using anillustrative embodiment of auger flights and support assembliesaccording to the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary exploded side elevational view of an augerflight and a bearing housing;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view corresponding toFIG. 2, but with the auger flight and the bearing housing assembledtogether;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a pair of augerflights connected together by a tire bar;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a front view of the invention showing a pair of augerflights, with a tie bar connecting side-by-side bearing housingstogether;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top view of the auger flights of FIG. 2,showing the tie bar connecting the bearing housings together;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a side view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6, showing theconnection between the tie bar and the support leg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a plurality of auger flightsupports 320 illustrative of the invention, as used with a conventionaldual auger drilling system 23 which includes an augering machine 26 thatdrives a plurality of augers generally referred to by the number 28.Each auger 28 includes a plurality of unitized flight sections 29 and aunitized drilling section 32. Drilling system 23 is used for drillinginto a hill 35 that contains a generally horizontally disposed coal seam38 and to remove the resulting cut coal chunks 41.

[0022] Augering machine 26 is of conventional design for providingrotational power through flight sections 29 to drilling section 32. Onesuch machine is the MC-DK Coal Recovery Auger, manufactured by the SalemTool Company of London, Ky. Augering machine 26 includes a main frame 44supported on a plurality of downwardly dependent legs 45. A wheeledcarriage 47, which is hydraulically driven to force flight sections 29and drilling section 32 into and out of the hill 35, travelslongitudinally on main frame 44 on a pair of parallel rails (not shown)of main frame 44. An internal combustion engine (not shown) is mountedon carriage 47 and the engine drives flight sections 29 and drillingsection 32 through a pair of power trains (not shown). The power trains(not shown) each include a clutch, a flexible coupling and a shiftabletransmission. The power outputs through a pair of power outputs 50 and51. Similarly, a triple system could be provided having an additionalrotating auger disposed above the above-described pairs of augers 28.

[0023] Each unitized section 29 comprises a pair of auger flights 53each having an elongate tubular body 56 to which is affixed a respectiveexternal helical flighting 59. Within a forward portion (not shown) oftubular body 56 there is affixed a socket insert (not shown) that has adrive socket (not shown) of square cross-sectional configuration. Thedrive socket is adapted to slidably and non rotatably fit a mating driveshank (not shown) on an axially adjacent auger flight 53, as is known inthe industry. Therefore, adjacent pairs of axially aligned auger flights53 may be rotationally interconnected and axially coupled to one anotherend-to-end by inserting the mating shank of one auger flight 53 to themating socket of the axially aligned auger flight 53. This securestransmission of rotational torque and axial drilling force from oneauger flight 53 to the other. Respective rearward portions 65 of tubularbodies 56 are held together in a spaced relationship by an auger flightsupport 320.

[0024] Drilling section 32 comprises a pair of auger flights 53 whichare journaled to an elongate T-shaped center frame 68 at a front bearingsupport bracket 71 thereof. A pair of boring or drilling heads 72 eachincludes a square shank (not shown) which fits through a pair of thrustbearings 73 in support bracket 71. The square shanks fit into the drivesocket (not shown) of tubular body 56 so as to be rotationally affixedto respective auger flights 53 of drilling section 32 to bore into coalseam 38. Therefore, adjacent axially aligned auger flights 53 of flightsection 29 and drilling section 32 may be rotationally interconnectedand axially coupled to one another to secure transmission of rotationaltorque and axial drilling force from one to the other. Respectiveportions 65 of tubular bodies 56 are held together in a spacedrelationship by auger flight support 320 adjacent a plow plate 74 of thecenter frame 68, FIG. 1.

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 2-5, auger flight supports 320 comprise a pairof drive shafts 75, which each engage a bearing assembly 80. Driveshafts 75 include a first end portion 86 adapted to closely fit withinand be affixable to rear portion 65 of a respective tubular body 56 atan annular weld 98. A second end portion 89 of drive shafts 75 includesa square drive shank 92 (FIG. 5) of mating configuration to the drivesockets. A middle bearing portion 95 is located between the respectivefirst and second end portions 86 and 89. First end portion 86 includesan annular recess 101 for reducing the weight of the drive shaft 75.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 5&6, bearing assemblies 80 a, 80 b eachinclude a tubular bearing housing 122 having a tube 128 with a pair oflaterally inwardly dependent tabs 146 extending therefrom. Bearingassemblies 80 a, 80 b each include an annular forward flange ring 173,and an annular rear flange ring 176. Flange ring 173 closely fits aboutthe bearing support surface (not shown) of drive shaft 75 and includesan O-ring (not shown) disposed in an O-ring groove (not shown) whichseals against the shoulder 110 (FIG. 2). Flange ring 176 closely fitsabout second end portion 89 at a shoulder (not shown) of drive shaft 75and includes an O-ring (not shown) disposed in an O-ring groove (notshown) which seals against the shoulder.

[0027] Respective drive shafts 75 and bearing assemblies 80 are heldtogether by a plurality of bolts (not shown) which extend through flangering 176 and which longitudinally thread onto the shoulder of driveshaft 75. Alternatively, drive shaft 75 can be externally threaded atthe shoulder and rear flange 176 is internally threaded so as tothreadably engage to retain respective drive shafts 75 and bearingassemblies 80 together.

[0028] As may be best seen from FIG. 2, respective auger flights 53 areaxially coupled together using a locking pin assembly 198 as is known inthe industry, which includes an inwardly biased, spring loaded pin 201which engages lock pin hole 104 through drive shank 92, and a releaselever 204 which is pivotally connected to forward portion 62 of augerflights 53. Depressing release lever 204 pulls pin 201 radiallyoutwardly against the spring biasing to permit coupling and uncouplingof axially adjacent auger flights 53.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 5-7, bearing assemblies 80 a, 80 b areconnected together using tie bar 83 which is connected to respectivepairs of laterally dependent tabs 146 of bearing housings 122 a, 122 bby way of bolts 147 A leg mounting block 343 depends downwardly from tiebar 83 in a region located approximately at the center of tie bar 83 sothat when tie bar 83 is connected to bearing assemblies 80 a, 80 b, leg325 is disposed approximately midway between the bearing assemblies. Asupport leg 325 includes a pair of upright side plate 349 which extendvertically from an upwardly bent foot plate 352. The side plates 349 areinterconnected by a front plate 355. Support leg 325 is connected to legmounting block 343 using bolts 358 and locknuts 361. Flights 53 a and 53b rotate in opposite directions. As auger flights 53 bore through coalseam 38, a small raised ledge 400 of coal/earth is left between thecounter rotating augers 28. Support leg 325 engages the ledge 400 andrests thereon. A longitudinal frame member (not shown) which is disposedbetween auger flights 53 can be bolted between the axially adjacent tiebars 83 for additional support.

[0030] As can best be seen in FIG. 5, the length of support leg 325 isshorter than the diameter of auger flights 53 a, 53 b, inasmuch assupport leg 325 is adapted to rest on ledge 400 between the parallelflights 53. Additionally, the foot plate 352 of support leg is ofgreater cross-sectional area than support leg 325 itself so as toprovide a larger surface area for contacting ledge 400.

[0031] Operationally, it can be seen that support leg 325, whenpositioned on ledge 400, between adjacent auger flights 29, will supportthe weight of auger flights 29 and the material being transmittedrearwardly along the flights toward drilling machine 26. Additionally,support leg 325, by way of bearing assemblies 80 a, 80 b, will allow forthe smooth rotation of the auger flights, substantially reducing dragand friction, allowing more energy to be transmitted to drilling head72. Because the support leg 325 lies close to the center of gravity ofthe adjacent flight sections 29, the vibration in flight sections 29 issubstantially reduced. A reduction in the vibration of flight sections29 results in a reduction in the vibration of the drilling heads 72.This allows for an increased efficiency in the system, allowing the coalto be removed from coal seam 38 within hill 35 quicker and with lessenergy. Additionally, a significantly longer hole may be drilled intohill 35 along coal seam 38 allowing for more coal to be removed than wasotherwise possible before the use of the present invention.

[0032] Additionally, in the inventor's co-pending application Ser. No.10/074,412, a support post 77 is provided for each bearing assembly 80.As a consequence, each pair of bearing assemblies 80 has two supportposts 77. In the embodiment disclosed herein, only one support leg 325is provided for each pair of bearing assemblies 80 a, 80 b. This resultsin a substantial reduction in the cost of providing the presentlydisclosed support system over that disclosed in application Ser. No.10/074,412.

[0033] While the above embodiment of the invention discloses thatsupport leg 325 is removably attached to mounting block 343, leg 325 mayalternatively be integrally formed with tie bar 83.

[0034] Additionally, this device could be used on an auger drillingsystem 23 which drives three unitized flight sections without departingfrom the spirit of the present invention.

[0035] It can now be seen that the present invention solves many of theproblems associated with the prior art. The present invention providesreduced frictional losses between the flighting and the bottom of thebored holes resulting in less power required to bore a given lengthhole. The present invention also allows longer holes to be bored usingthe same augering machine due to the reduced friction. The presentinvention provides for dual auger boring.

[0036] Although the description above contains many specifications,these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention butas merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferredembodiments of this invention. The specification, for instance, makesreference to dual auger boring, however, the present invention is notintended to be limited to use only with dual augers. Rather it isintended that the present invention can be easily adapted for use withthree or more side-by-side augers by adding more pairs of tabs andadditional tie bars, or even by adding augers which are verticallydisposed. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by theappended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examplesgiven.

[0037] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used forbrevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are tobe implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art becausesuch terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to bebroadly construed.

[0038] Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is anexample and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown ordescribed.

1. An auger flight support for supporting a plurality of auger flightsby connecting together respective first ends of parallel auger flights,the auger flights each having a respective helical flighting affixedexteriorly therearound and having a respective outer diameter andrespective second ends having a drive socket, the auger flights beingadapted for use with an augering apparatus of the type used for rotatingand advancing a plurality of side-by-side cutting heads of the drillingsection, the drilling section which is driven horizontally into the sideof the hill with the cutting heads driven rotationally through the drivesockets by the augering apparatus, the unitized auger flights beinginserted between the drilling section and the augering apparatus in arotationally coupled end-to-end manner as drilling progresses, the augerflight support comprising: a pair of bearing housings; a pair of driveshafts each having a first end adapted to closely fit within and beaffixable to the first end portion of a respective flight auger, asecond end portion of mating configuration to the drive sockets, and amiddle bearing portion which fits within said bearing housing at leastone bearing disposed within each of said bearing housings between therespective bearing housing and said bearing portion of the respectivesaid drive shaft, said at least one bearing which rotationally supportsand longitudinally retains the respective drive shaft to the bearinghousing; a tie bar interconnecting said bearing housings at such aspacing that the respective of said outer boring diameters of saidflightings are closely adjacent one another; a support leg extendingdownwardly from said tie bar; said leg being adapted to engage thesurface of the ground lying between said parallel auger flights.
 2. Anauger flight support as defined in claim 1, wherein the support leg liessubstantially equidistant from each of the auger flights of the parallelauger flights.
 3. An auger flight support as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid support leg is disposed at approximately midway along the length ofsaid tie bar.
 4. An auger flight support as defined in claim 3, whereinsaid tie bar includes a downwardly depending leg mounting block disposedapproximately midway along the length of said tie bar and said supportleg is secured to said mounting block.
 5. An auger flight support asdefined in claim 4, wherein said support leg is releasably secured tosaid mounting block.
 6. An auger flight support as defined in claim 5,wherein said support leg is secured to the mounting block by a nut andbolt.
 7. An auger flight support as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsupport leg is integrally formed with said tie bar.
 8. An auger flightsupport as defined in claim 1, wherein said support leg is disposed onsaid tie bar at such a position that allows said support leg to lie atsubstantially the center of gravity of the parallel auger flights.
 9. Anauger flight support as defined in claim 1, wherein said support leg isadapted to contact the raised ledge of ground formed between the counterrotating parallel auger flights.
 10. An auger flight support as definedin claim 9, wherein said support leg further includes a foot plate andthe foot plate is adapted to contact the ledge of the ground between theauger flights.
 11. An auger flight support as defined in claim 9,wherein the width of the foot plate is greater than the width of thesupport leg.
 12. An auger flight support as defined in claim 9, whereinsaid support leg is shorter in length than the diameter of the augerflights.
 13. An auger flight support as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsupport leg is substantially parallel in an assembled position to theauger flights.
 14. An auger flight support for a plurality of augers,each of the augers including a plurality of axially adjacent augerflights, wherein said auger flight support comprises: a bearing housingdisposed at a position along the length of each auger, each bearinghousing connecting axially adjacent auger flights together; a tie barconnecting the bearing housings of adjacent parallel augers together; asupport leg extending downwardly from the mid-section of said tie bar,said support leg being adapted to engage the ground surface lyingbetween the adjacent parallel augers and to substantially keep theaugers from resting on the ground surface.
 15. An auger flight supportas defined in claim 14, wherein the support leg is integrally formedwith the tie bar.
 16. An auger flight support as defined in claim 14,wherein said tie bar includes a downwardly depending leg mounting blockdisposed approximately midway along the length of said tie bar and saidsupport leg is secured to said mounting block.
 17. An auger flightsupport as defined in claim 16, wherein said support leg is removablysecured to said mounting block.
 18. An auger flight support as definedin claim 14, wherein said support leg is disposed on said tie bar atsuch a position that allows said support leg to be disposed atsubstantially the center of gravity of the parallel augers.
 19. An augerflight support as defined in claim 14, wherein said support leg furtherincludes a foot plate and the foot plate is adapted to contact thesurface of the ground between the augers.
 20. An auger flight support asdefined in claim 19, wherein the width of the foot plate is greater thanthe width of the support leg.
 21. An auger flight support as defined inclaim 14, wherein said support leg is shorter in length than thediameter of the auger flights.
 22. An auger flight support as defined inclaim 21, wherein said support leg is substantially parallel in anassembled position to the augers